"He'd be sure to know it," said Mrs. Rowan, speaking of the young man as though he were much to be feared;—as indeed he was much feared by her.
"If you don't think I ought to go, perhaps it would be best that I should stay," said Rachel, at last, speaking in a very low tone, but still with some firmness in her voice.
"I'm sure I don't know what I'm to say to him," said Mrs. Ray.
"That must depend upon what he says to you, mamma," said Rachel.
After that there was no further talk of running away; but the morning did not pass with them lightly or pleasantly. They made an effort to sit quietly at their work, and to talk over the doings at Mrs. Tappitt's ball; but this coming of the young man threw its shadow, more or less, over everything. They could not talk, or even look at each other, as they would have talked and looked had no such advent been expected. They dined at one, as was their custom, and after dinner I think it probable that each of them stood before her glass with more care than she would have done on ordinary days. It was no ordinary day, and Mrs. Ray certainly put on a clean cap.
"Will that collar do?" she said to Rachel.
"Oh, yes, mamma," said Rachel, almost angrily. She also had taken her little precautions, but she could not endure to have such precautions acknowledged, even by a word.
The afternoon was very tedious. I don't know why Luke should have been expected exactly at three; but Mrs. Ray had, I think, made up her mind that he might be looked for at that time with the greatest certainty. But at three he was sitting down to dinner, and even at half-past five had not as yet left his room at the "Dragon."
"I suppose that we can't have tea till he's been," said Mrs. Ray, just at that hour; "that is, if he does come at all."
Rachel felt that her mother was vexed, because she suspected that Mr. Rowan was not about to keep his word.